Tools

The Solutions Journalism Network is in the process of developing a series of tools to assist writers and editors in reframing their coverage from a more solutions-oriented viewpoint. We hope these tools will inspire new story ideas, help overcome writer’s block, provoke different interview questions, and more.

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The Solutions Journalism Toolkit: Looking to bring a solutions focus to your beat? This 48-page guidebook is free to download and compiles everything you need to find, pitch, structure, write, and promote critical, clear-eyed reporting on responses to social problems.

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Ten Questions: Are you thinking about researching a solutions-oriented story, but aren’t sure what it should include? We’ve come up with ten questions we ask ourselves when we’re evaluating whether stories are solutions-oriented or not.

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Solutions Journalism Impostors: We’ve found that for many people, it’s helpful to understand what we mean by the term “solutions journalism” by explaining what it’s not. This page explains the seven primary SoJo impostors we see in the media.

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How I Got That Story: SJN has reached out to journalists across the country who write or broadcast evidence-rich, nuanced, compelling work. They have different beats and work in various types of media. But they have at least one thing in common: a commitment to serving the public by covering solutions. Check out our Q&As with these journalists doing great solutions journalism.

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Guide to Maternal HealthandGuide to Food Security: We created two issue-specific guidebooks for journalists. The books include maps with countries that are “positive deviants” (examples where outcomes are significantly and unexpectedly better than the norm); overviews of the main challenges; descriptions of some responses to the problems; advice from other journalists about reporting these issues; annotations of solutions-oriented stories on these topics; and a list of resources.

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Toolkit: Reporting on Solutions Internationally: This meaty guidebook highlights and dissects the solutions-oriented work of four Pulitzer Center grantees, and offers general guidance about how to report on solutions stories internationally and how to get your story idea funded.

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Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our e-newsletter (on the right) to be alerted when new tools launch. In addition, check out some of our other favorite sources for journalistic tools:

Request a Solutions Journalism Workshop

We travel the country introducing journalists to the practice of solutions journalism through newsroom trainings and webinars. If you're interested in bringing a team from the Solutions Journalism Network to your newsroom, click here to request a workshop.